Valve



Jan. 13, 1942. E. H. MUELLER 2,270,073

VALVE Filed April 5, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 13, 1942 UETED ST res PATENT OFFICE VALVE Ervin H. Mueller, Grosse Pointe, Mich.

Application April 5, 1941, Serial No. 386,988 1 Claim. (01. 251-452) This invention relates to a valve, particularly useful with the so-called floor heaters, although the construction is not limited to such use.

The floor heaters referred to are usually gas burning heaters disposed below the floor of a residence which is not equipped with a basement and are customarily used in climates which do not require much heat. The valve is arranged to control both the supply of fuel to the heating burner and to the pilot. During the season when the heater is out of operation the valve is turned 01f and the construction is such as to very positively prevent the opening of the valve for the supplying of the gas to the heating burner until after gas has been supplied to the pilot so that the pilot can be first ignited. To this end, when the valve is turned from off position, a stop limits the movement and at a point where the fuel is supplied only to the pilot. By an additional axial movement against a spring, the valve may be turned past this stop, but even in this case there is a second stop which limits the movement of the valve in the position where the pilot only is supplied with gas. Thus there are two intermediate stops and one or the other will During the check the movement of the valve. operating season the valve may be actuated between an intermediate stop and another limit stop for the supply of gas to the heating burner at will, but for the constant supply of gas to I.

the pilot.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a general view illustrating a floor heater with the valve of the present invention associated therewith.

Fig. 2 is a view largely in plan but showing some parts in section along line 22 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the valve. Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken substantially on line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing the heating burner port in open position.

Fig. 6 is a sectional View corresponding to Fig. 5 showing the valve passages for the pilot in open position.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the Fig. 9 showing the passages for the pilot burner in on position.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view showing the passages for the heating burner in off position when the valve is located by another of the intermediate stops.

Fig. 12 is a view corresponding to Fig. 11 showing the passages for the pilot burner in open position.

Fig. 13 is a plan view of a controlling washer.

As shown in Fig. 1, a floor is illustrated at l and under which is a heater generally illustrated by the casing 2, the heater being covered by a grating 3. An operating rod 4 for the valve extends downwardly from the surface of the floor and may be operated through the means of a removable handle 5.

The valve has a body generally illustrated at 1, provided with an inlet 8 to be connected to the gas supply line 9 and an outlet H] for connection to a line H leading to a heating burner inside the casing. The valve also has an inlet l2 for connection to the gas supply line which. in the present instance, is through a tube 13, and an outlet M for connection to a line l5 which extends into the casing 2 and for supplying fuel to the pilot burner. An automatic thermostatic control device is illustrated at I6 for controlling the gas supply to the heating burner, and the pilot gas is taken from the supply line 9 upstream from the control l6 so as not to be afiected thereby.

The valve has a tapered seat I! therein upon which seats a tapered plug l8. This plug has a passage [9 designed to register with the inlet and outlet 8 and I0, and it has other passages for connecting the inlet 12 and outlet It as shown in Figs. 6, 8, 10 and 12. These other passageways take the form of a transverse bore or passage 20, the ends of which connect into arcuate grooves 2| and 22 in the surface of the tapered plug. The passage l8 and the passage 20 may conveniently be in line with each other as illustrated.

The plug has an extension or stem 24 which is slotted transversely as at 25, while the end of the rod 4 is flattened as at 26 and fits into the slot so that the rod and plug are coupled together. The part 26 of the rod has a slot elongated axially as at 21, while a pin or the like, such as a cotter key, 28, passes through the slot and the extension of the plug. The pin maintains the connection and yet permits the rod 4 to be shifted axially.

A cap 33 is secured to the body as by means of screws 3| and the valve extension extends out through an aperture in the cap, while underlying the cap is a member which may conveniently be termed a washer as shown at 32. As illustrated in Fig. 13 the washer 32 has a transverse member 33 which lies in the slot 25, and it has a projecting finger or lug 34. Accordingly, the washer is slidably keyed to the valve plug. The valve plug has an axial bore or recess 35 in which is positioned a spring 36 which acts upon the transverse piece 33 of the washer and normally pushes it upwardly against the under side of the cap. Also, the rod 4 rests upon the transverse piece 33 so that the spring normally holds the rod upwardly. However, by applying forces on the rod, it and the washer may be pressed downwardly against the action of the spring 36. In using the terms upwardly and downwardly" reference is made, of course, to Fig. 4, and this does not necessarily mean that the shaft 4 must lie in an up and down direction, or that the axis of the valve plug is in an up and down direction.

The washer 32, in conjunction with stop means, has a controlling action upon the operation of the valve. As shown in Fig. 3 the body of the valve has a milled slot therein as at 40 forming a shoulder 4| and a shoulder 42. The cap is formed to provide a shoulder or stop 4la which aligns with the shoulder 4|. As it will be noted the central portion of the cap is elevated to receive the washer as shown in Fig. 4. The cap is also provided with an intermediate stop 43 positioned between the stops 4!--4Ia and 42. The cap is cut away as at 44 so that the finger 34 can shift beyond the shoulder 42, and the cap is provided with a limiting stop 45.

The operation of the valve, insofar as the functioning of the washer and stops are concerned, is as follows: The stop 4|-4la engages the finger 34 and limits the rotation of the valve plug in one direction. finger may strike the surface 43a of the intermediate stop 43. It will strike this intermediate stop if, at the time, the spring 36 is urging the washer 32 upwardly against the under side of the cap. To move the washer past the stop 43, the washer is depressed against the action of the spring by the rod 4 so that the finger 34 may be moved under the intermediate stop 43, but in this position the finger 34 will strike the intermediate stop 42. The valve ports are in the same functioning condition when the finger 34 is stopped either by the intermediate stop 43 or the intermediate stop 42. If the washer be allowed to elevate by the action of the spring, then the finger 34 shifts upwardly to clear the intermediate In Figs. 7 and 8 the finger 34 is against the limiting stop 4!, and. the valve is completely oil with the passage l9 disaligned relative to the inlet 8 and outlet I and with the inlet [2 and outlet M closed.

In Figs. 9 and 10 the valve is positioned with the finger 34 against the surface 43a of the intermediate stop. In this position the inlet 8 and outlet ID are disconnected, but as shown in Fig. 10 the inlet [2 and outlet M are in registry with the corresponding passage through the plug.

In Figs. 11 and 12 the finger 34 is against the intermediate stop 42 and here again it will be noted that the main burner passageways B and ID are closed off from each other, but that the inlet I2 and outlet [4 for the pilot burner are connected through the arcuate slots and the passage 20. This same condition exists when the finger 34 is against the surface 43b of the intermediate stop 43.

The function of the structure is this: When the fuel is entirely out ofi from the floor heater the valve is positioned as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The valve is so positioned in the off season or warm season when the heater is not in use. To place the heater in use, the valve is turned from the position of Figs. '7 and 8 to that of Figs. 9 and 10 where, as shown in Fig. 10, gas is supplied through the passage 20 for the pilot burner. In the position shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the finger 34 has abutted against the surface 43a. But suppose some heavy handed individual has pressed down too hard upon the rod and has caused a lowering of the washer so that the finger 34 will pass under the intermediate stop 43; the valve positively prevents opening the main gas supply to the main heater under these circumstances. In this case the finger 34 strikes the intermediate stop 42 When the valve is turned the the main supply of gas is still cut off, while the pilot supply is open. Thus the valve will be stopped in one of two intermediate positions, both of which result in the same set of conditions,

namely, that of supplying gas to the pilot but not to the heating burner. The pilot burner is now ignited.

Of course, if the pressure on the rod 4 is relieved the spring pushes the washer up. The

, valve may now be turned to the full on position mediate stop. The surface 43b stops the valve in stop 42, at which time the finger 34 is substantially against the side 43b of the intermediate stop 43. From this position the valve may be turned until the finger 34 strikes the limiting stop 45.

mediate stops 43 and 42. Both surfaces of the intermediate stop 43 function as stops under different circumstances.

Thus it will be observed that there are two limiting stops 4l4la and 45, and two inter- The ports and passageways and their various groove 2|, passage 20 and groove 22 connects the inlet I2 and outlet I4.

a position which is the same as the positions shown in Figs. 11 and 12 where the finger is against the stop 42.

I claim:

A valve for controlling the fluid fuel supply for a heating burner and a pilot comprising, a valve body, a valve member rotatable in the body, the valve body and valve member having two sets of passages for alignment and disalignment in different rotary positions of the valve member, a stop member slidably and non-rotatably connected to the valve member, two limiting stops for engagement by the stop member for determining two extreme positions of the valve member, one of which is the 01f position with the passages disaligned and the other the "on position with the passages aligned, a spring acting upon a stop member and urging it axially, an intermediate stop in the normal path of the stop member as determined by the spring for stopping the valve member when it is turned from either of the limit stops, another intermediate stop facing the ofi limit stop and positioned out of a the normal path of the stop member and disaligned relative to the first intermediate stop, the stop member being shiftable against the spring so as to clear the first intermediate stop to pass by the same, and the second intermediate stop 

